Government Services · Maharashtra · Revenue Certificates
How to Apply for a Domicile Certificate Online in Maharashtra
A domicile certificate, called the Adhivaas Praman Patra in Maharashtra, proves that you are a permanent resident of the state. You need it for state quota seats in colleges, for many state government jobs, for resident based scholarships and for some welfare schemes that are only for Maharashtra residents. In Maharashtra you apply online through Aaple Sarkar, the state Right to Public Services portal run by MahaOnline, and the certificate is signed by the Tehsildar or the Sub Divisional Officer after the revenue staff check your records. This page walks through the whole flow: creating the Aaple Sarkar login, filling the domicile form, the documents you upload, the fee, how the office verifies your stay in the state, how to download the signed certificate, and the revenue appeal route if your application is wrongly rejected. Last verified October 2026.
- Where: Aaple Sarkar portal at aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, Revenue Department service.
- Signed by: the Tehsildar or Sub Divisional Officer, after the Talathi verifies your stay.
- Papers: Aadhaar, residence proof covering the required years, age proof, self declaration.
- Basis: usually fifteen years of continuous residence, with relaxations for birth and marriage.
- If refused: appeal to the SDO / Additional Collector / Collector, then the Revenue Tribunal; Claw can track it.
01What the certificate is and who needs it
A domicile certificate records that you ordinarily live in Maharashtra and intend to stay. The usual test is fifteen years of continuous residence in the state, with relaxations for people born in Maharashtra, for women who marry a Maharashtra resident and for children of state or central government employees posted here.
You will be asked for it in cases like these:
- State quota admission in medical, engineering and other professional courses.
- Maharashtra government jobs that are reserved for state residents.
- Resident based scholarships, fee concessions and welfare schemes.
- Some passport, firearms and local verification needs.
The certificate shows your name, address, the basis of domicile and a certificate number, and Aaple Sarkar issues a digitally signed copy that the receiving office can verify online.
02Documents you need
Keep clear scans ready before you start. The usual set is:
| Document | Why it is asked |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar card | Identity and to pre-fill name and address |
| Proof of residence (ration card, electricity bill, 7/12 extract or rent agreement) | Shows you live at the stated address |
| Age and birth proof (birth certificate, school leaving or bonafide) | To fix date of birth and place of birth |
| Residence proof covering the required years (school records, old bills) | To show the fifteen year stay |
| Self declaration on the prescribed format | Your own statement of residence |
| Passport size photo | Attached to the application |
If your domicile is through marriage, add the marriage certificate and the spouse domicile proof. If it is through a parent, add the parent domicile certificate. Match every name to your Aadhaar spelling, because a mismatch is the single most common cause of delay.
03Step by step on Aaple Sarkar
The whole process runs on the Aaple Sarkar portal. You register once, then apply for the Revenue Department domicile service.
- 1. Register. Go to aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, open "New User" registration, verify your mobile with an OTP and create a login. You can register using your mobile and email or through a verified Aadhaar based option.
- 2. Pick the Revenue Department. Log in, choose the Revenue Department and then the "Age Nationality and Domicile Certificate" or the domicile service.
- 3. Fill the form. Enter applicant details, full address, the basis of your domicile and the purpose. Use the same spelling as your Aadhaar.
- 4. Upload documents. Attach identity, residence and age proofs and the self declaration in the sizes the form asks for.
- 5. Pay and submit. Pay the fee online and submit. Note the application number shown on screen.
After you submit, the application goes to the Talathi and Circle Officer for verification and then to the Tehsildar or Sub Divisional Officer for signature.
04Fee, timeline and validity
The Aaple Sarkar fee for a revenue certificate is a small fixed amount paid through the portal gateway. A Common Service Centre (Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendra or Setu centre) may add its own service charge if it files for you.
Maharashtra notifies a time limit for this service under the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act 2015, and domicile certificates are usually delivered inside that window once the Talathi verification is done. Treat any single quoted number of days as indicative and check the live status on the portal.
A domicile certificate does not expire once issued, but some offices and colleges ask for a recent one. Apply in good time before any admission or job deadline, because the field verification can take a few extra days.
05Track, download and verify
Log back in to Aaple Sarkar and open "Track Your Application" using the application number. When the status shows issued, download the digitally signed PDF.
- The certificate carries a number and a QR or barcode that the receiving office can verify on the portal.
- Keep the PDF; a printout from Aaple Sarkar is accepted in most offices.
- If the status is stuck at verification for long, visit the Tehsil office or the Setu centre with your application number.
06Common reasons it is rejected
Most rejections are fixable. The usual grounds are:
- Name, parent name or address does not match Aadhaar or the ration card.
- The residence proof does not cover the required years of stay.
- Unclear or wrong size uploads, or a missing self declaration.
- Address falls outside the Tehsil you applied in, or the Talathi report does not confirm your stay.
If the rejection is a documentation problem, correct it and re-apply. If you believe the refusal is wrong on the merits, Maharashtra revenue law gives you an appeal, explained next.
07If it is wrongly refused: the appeal route
A domicile certificate is a decision of a revenue officer. If the Tehsildar or Sub Divisional Officer wrongly refuses it, or ignores proof you can produce, you are not stuck with it. You can file an appeal or revision before the higher revenue authority, normally the Sub Divisional Officer, the Additional Collector or the Collector, and a revenue dispute can travel up to the Divisional Commissioner and the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal. Where a clear legal right is denied, you can move a writ petition in the Bombay High Court or its Nagpur or Aurangabad Bench.
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
If your certificate problem turns into a revenue appeal or a court matter, you can create a FREE Claw account and track that matter across the forum that hears it. Claw covers 9,102 courts, benches and forums in India, so whether your case sits before a revenue authority, a district court or the High Court, there is a real tracking home for the orders and next dates. Judgment search spans 30 crore+ judgments, with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990, and results return in under 5 seconds, which helps if you or your lawyer want to see how similar refusals were decided. Claw does not train its AI models on your documents. This is general information and not legal advice, and a tracked case still needs a lawyer for the arguments.
To see what is already filed in a forum, you can run a case search in the Bombay High Court by party name. For the strict time limit on filing an appeal, see the limitation period for filing an appeal.
08Sources and further reading
- Aaple Sarkar (RTS portal): aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in
- MahaOnline: mahaonline.gov.in
- eCourts (case status): ecourts.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This page is general information for readers in India, not legal advice. Fees and steps can change, so confirm the current details on the official Maharashtra portal before you apply.
09Frequently asked questions
Which portal do I use for a domicile certificate in Maharashtra?
The Aaple Sarkar Right to Public Services portal at aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in, run by MahaOnline. Choose the Revenue Department and the domicile certificate service.
Who signs the domicile certificate?
The Tehsildar or the Sub Divisional Officer, after the Talathi and Circle Officer verify your residence.
How many years of residence do I need?
The usual test is fifteen years of continuous residence in Maharashtra, with relaxations for people born in the state, for women who marry a resident and for children of government employees posted here.
Does a domicile certificate expire?
Once issued it does not expire, but some colleges and offices ask for a recent copy, so apply in good time before any deadline.
What can I do if my domicile certificate is wrongly refused?
If the refusal is a documentation issue, fix and re-apply. If it is wrong on the merits, you can appeal or seek revision before the SDO, Additional Collector or Collector, then the Divisional Commissioner and the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal, and finally the Bombay High Court. Claw can track that matter across the forum that hears it.